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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 116 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  2. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  3. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  4. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  5. This piece is in a major ________________.
  6. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  7. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  8. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  9. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  10. I've got to change the light ________________.
  11. The tickets are free of ________________.
  12. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  13. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  14. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  15. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  16. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  17. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  18. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  19. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  20. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  21. The light ________________ burned out.
  22. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  23. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  24. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. object — an aim
  2. wound — an injury
  3. wind — moving air
  4. board — a flat piece
  5. key — in music
  6. object — a thing
  7. content — the amount
  8. charge — electricity
  9. wound — an injury
  10. bulb — for light
  11. charge — a price
  12. wind — moving air
  13. charge — in control
  14. board — to get on
  15. bulb — of a plant
  16. board — a committee
  17. object — to protest
  18. key — the most important part
  19. key — for a lock
  20. content — happy
  21. bulb — for light
  22. wind — to turn a key
  23. wound — past of 'wind'
  24. content — videos and posts

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com